LANDLORD CHARGED WITH CODE VIOLATIONS

In a rare move by the city fire marshal, a North End landlord has been arrested and charged with failing to correct long- standing fire code violations.

Richard T. Fasanella, 28, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was charged with failing to repair fire doors and emergency lighting in the Kabatznick building at 684 Main St. He was also charged with failing to properly install guards -- or handrail-type safety barriers -- in stairwells.

The structure, built in 1922, used to house the It's Only Natural restaurant and the Books And Beyond retail store on the first floor. Both businesses recently relocated to the Main Street Market, closer to the center of the downtown business district.

The building has about a dozen apartments on the second and third floors, said Fire Marshal Lewis LaRosa Jr. Fire officials have been trying to get Fasanella to fix the violations since December 1996, LaRosa said.

"We will if necessary go to the full extent of the law," LaRosa said Tuesday. "Our goal is code compliance not criminal prosecution. But if we have to access our full powers, we'll do it."

Fasanella faces a minimum $200 fine and up to a $1,000 fine for violating the fire code. He also could face imprisonment for up to six months.

Fasanella could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He is free on a $1,000 bail, pending arraignment in Middletown Superior Court on Sept. 10.

Fasanella was stopped by state police at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks about 10 p.m. Saturday and held until Middletown police arrived with an arrest warrant. The arrest report was not released until Tuesday.

LaRosa said his office has sent repeated notices to Fasanella, reminding him to correct the violations, which were first noticed by a firefighter responding to an alarm at the building in December 1996.

LaRosa said all of the notices were ignored during 1997 and Fasanella, as late as last week, failed to show up at a scheduled meeting to discuss the violations. That's when fire officials decided to team up with police in serving the arrest warrant.

"We'll work with anybody," LaRosa said. "Our goal isn't to force anybody to stand before a judge. Our goal is to keep the money out of the attorneys' pockets and allow landlords to invest it in their structures."